The Speckled Aloes

摘要

Some species in the genus Aloe seem to stand alone, having no apparent close relatives. An example is Aloeplicatilis with its fans of bluish-green strap-like leaves. Many other aloes fall into natural groupings which can be presumed to have arisen from a common ancestor. One such grouping is referred to as the "speckled aloes" in Guide to the Aloes of South Africa, and it includes Aloe microstigma and its close relatives, all native to the western part of South Africa and adjacent southern Namibia. In GW Reynolds' classic work The Aloes of South Africa, these plants were placed in the series Purpurascen-tes along with Aloe succotrina, but the relationship of the latter with the others seems tenuous, and it seems more reasonable to keep it separate.